[Illustration: _Peterson's foot slipped suddenly. In the same instant Bonwitt flung forward, slamming him to the floor._]
"Peel! Peel!" he yelped, fighting to keep the maniac's hands from his pistols. "He'll kill you all. Believe me, Peel!"
Then, amazingly, there was the screaming hiss of a lunar weapon. Peterson's head exploded almost in his face with brilliant pyrotechnics. Peel had killed the man and was standing there grinning in a most friendly manner, pistol holstered, waiting for the engineer to rise.
"Thanks, good friend," Peel was saying. "We knew he traitor but not find machine. Pauchek learn some but not know all. _You_ fix."
That explained the incident of the unfortunate machinist. Bonwitt could only goggle at the Gosak of inner Luna as he rose to face him.
"You fix," repeated the little brown ruler. "You keep my people safe. Now we ready to talk your people. We go help they. They help we. Not?"